Everton sweat over Vitalii Mykolenko as Fabian Delph dilemma emerges for Frank Lampard

Everton will be sweating on the fitness of goalscorer Vitalii Mykolenko and Yerry Mina for Wednesday night’s trip to Watford. The pair were both forced off in Sunday’s 2-1 victory at Leicester City as the Blues secured three points away from home for only the second time this season and the first since the opening month of the campaign when they triumphed 2-0 at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Mina, who has only featured in 91 of the 171 matches Everton have played since he joined in 2018 (53%) including just 14 out of 40 so far this term (35%) went off just 18 minutes into the trip to the King Power Stadium after feeling his calf and was due to have a scan on Monday. January signing Mykolenko opened his account in English football in spectacular fashion with his sixth-minute volley but was taken off in the 66th minute after indicating his could not continue although manager Frank Lampard hoped it was only cramp.

Given his improving form in recent weeks at both ends of the pitch, the Blues will be counting on the Ukrainian international to keep his place on the left-hand side of defence at Vicarage Road although Jonjoe Kenny could deputise. It seems more likely that Michael Keane will slot in at centre-back.

Lampard has named an unchanged line-up for the wins over Chelsea and Leicester and might not be too keen to make many other alterations but with midweek fixtures, both here and a week on Thursday against Crystal Palace, he does have options in central midfield if he wants to freshen things up. While Abdoulaye Doucoure has been getting back to his energetic self of late, Fabian Delph’s minutes might need to be managed given his injury record and both Allan and the fit-again Andre Gomes provide alternative options.

Dele Alli